Heart's Aches
by whiteswan
Summary: Short sweet and fluffy one shot, set immediately after the second movie. InKa


Heart's Aches

Disclaimer: Inuyasha, Kagome, et al belong to Rumiko Takahashi.

Summary: Short, sweet and fluffy because I was in a good mood and Valentine's Dayis close. Set immediately after the second movie, 'Through the Looking Glass,' the aftermath of the lovely little post-credit scene that ended in the infamous 'Osuwari!' Doesn't he ever learn?

A white haired young man lounged on his favorite branch of the Goshinboku, golden eyes staring into the distance. A second glance revealed that ths was no ordinary young man, but a hanyou. Inu youkai to be precise, judging by the white ears perched atop his head, swiveling to catch any sounds in his surroundings.

The hanyou, Inuyasha by name, was waiting for something, or specifically, someone. His ears twitched forward, as if hearing voices from his memory...

_A woman's voice chanting...a magic mirror...a girl crying..."Inuyasha, I'm begging you, please don't change!"_

_The beast inside clawing to get out, to taste blood..._her_ blood_. _"I love you as a half demon Inuyasha!"_

_A brief moment of clarity, the reaction of a youkai to his chosen mate. Grasp the girl by the arms, to move her away from danger or keep her close, he wasn't sure._

_That voice chanting again...clawing,rage, BLOOD! And then...the feeling of soft lips against his mouth, unheeding of the bared fangs. A pause and a moment of recognition... Kagome. The rage subsided, the mirror cracked., and the hanyou gave into a desire long repressed and hesitantly returned the soft kiss_. _No pressure nor force, just a simple show of love. A feminine whisper, "You gonna be ok now?"_

_He wrapped her in a hug, comforting both of them, "I could have killed you...I'll stay a half demon for a little longer, just for you." Never wanted to let her go._

_Then later, battle over, that baka boy finally gone, and the hanyou's big mouth had to ruin things again! _

His ears folded back, remembering the things he'd said. Her brown eyes had filled with tears, and then came the dreaded words. "Inuyasha...Osuwari! You jerk, I'm going HOME!" He hadn't tried to stop her. Instead, he sat on his branch and brooded, occasionally playing with the locket pendant she had given him as he kept watch on the well. When she came back, then he'd set things right.

Soon, the familiar dark head popped over the edge of the well, bulging yellow backpack behind it. Inuyasha leapt silently down from the Goshinboku and gently lifted Kagome from the well, setting her down next to him.

The time traveling miko regarded him cautiously, obviously somewhat confused by his change in attitude. Where was the usual cursing and complaining? She grew even more bewildered when the hanyou slid the straps of the bag gently off her shoulders and set it on the ground before pulling her into his arms. Her heart rate tripled; what was going on? Then she felt a clawed hand combing gently through her hair and heard him whisper, "Kagome, I'm sorry about what I said earlier. I didn't mean for it to come out that way."

Kagome looked up to study his familiar golden eyes, for once holding back her normal sharp demands for an explanation of his strange behavior that automatically came to mind. Instead she saw the sadness in his eyes that he couldn't quite conceal and felt the care with which he held her, "Inuyasha?"

The hanyou tightened his arms around her, "Kagome...did you mean what you said...about caring for me as a hanyou?"

She blushed pink at the question but nodded, burying her face against his chest. Inuyasha looked down at the top of her head in surprise. After everything he'd put her through, she could still love him, a filthy hanyou?

Kagome glanced up at him, concerned at his uncharacteristic silence and saw the combination of wonder and confusion in his expression. Her heart ached at a sudden thought, 'He doesn't understand. No one's ever cared for him for himself, not since his mom. Kikyo hated his youkai half and his brother detests his human half. Oh Inuyasha.' She smiled at him shyly, gathering her courage. Kami, this was harder to say now that the danger was over."I love you just as you are Inuyasha. Youkai, hanyou, human, it doesn't matter to me. You're perfect just the way you are. Especially these," she reached up to stroke one of the triangular ears peeking out from behind his bangs.

Inuyasha bent his head so she wouldn't have to strain to reach. She was the only one who got away with petting his ears like that. He growled lightly in the back of his throat, hugging her to him, "Kagome." Her scent filled his sensitive nose, the scent of sakura blossoms. "Kagome, I really didn't mean what I said earlier...I just...didn't know what to do with Miroku teasing, and I ended up hurting you. Gomen nasai."

Kagome hugged him tightly, he really must feel guilty if he was actually _apologizing_. "I'm sorry too Inuyasha, I didn't help things either. It was a shock to hear Miroku say anything. I kinda," here she blushed a bit, "I kinda forgot they were there at all. I was so worried about you."

Inuyasha ran a hand carefully down her back, "I couldn't hear anything for a minute but that damned chanting. Nothing else. I didn't even hear Miroku yelling at me, or even hurting him. Then I heard you Kagome. You made me come back. I meant it when I said I'd stay a hanyou for you, if you want. Ashiteru." Shocked brown eyes looked into his for a moment before he bent to tentaively meet her lips with his own.

When they drew apart a few minutes later, Kagome buried her face in his shoulder and held on tight, trying not to cry. He hated it when she cried. Composing herself, she asked the question that she dreaded, but had to ask, "Inuyasha? What about your promise to Kikyo?"

The hanyou half sighed, half growled, "I let go of her a long time ago Kagome. The Kikyo that we see now isn't the one I knew, I figured that out a long time ago. I'l keep my promise to protect her from Naraku, I owe the real Kikyo's memory that much. But I won't go to hell with her. I just want to give her peace."

Kagome smiled brilliantly at him and he gave her a gentle smile in return, "I'm not going to leave you Kagome. You're stuck with me now, koishii." He took her hand and regarded her seriously for a moment before asking quietly, "Kagome, Inu-youkai mate for life. You'll live as long as I do. Is that ok?"

She reached to stroke his ears again, "Of course it alright, silly ko-inu. Ashiteru."

He growled at her, totally non-threatening, "Oi, I'm not a puppy Kagome." He smirked for a moment at a sudden thought, but decided to keep it to himself for now. Instead he merely said, "If you want, we can talk to the old hag about mating us the human way, as well as the demon way, that way no one can dispute it. Not even that wimpy wolf."

Kagome giggled a bit at the jealousy in his voice at the mention of Kouga, "If he doesn't back off, you can hurt him all you want. Just don't kill him, ok?" Inuyasha smirked at the thought but nodded to please her. She tilted her head, a curious expression on her face, "Inuyasha? What exactly is involved in a demon mating? Sango told me it has something to do with a mark but she wouldn't tell me much more than that."

Inuyasha blushed a bit, "Umm, I'll explain that later on, ok Kagome? We might want to have the human cermemony first, or else your jii-chan might try to purify me again."

She giggled and nodded, "Ok Inuyasha. I trust you."

He looked awa y briefly as they began to walk towards the village, "Oh yeah, are you thinking about adopting Shippo?"

Kagome raised an eyebrow in surprise, "I've thought about it. Are you sure you wouldn't mind?"

Inuyasha looked at her, trying to hide a smile behind a frown, "Feh, if you want to, go ahead. Kid thinks of you as a mother anyways. Needs someone to keep him out of trouble."

Kagome smiled to herself and laced her hand through his. He tried to hde it, but he really was a big softie underneath all the growling, "Arrigato Inuyasha."

"Keh." He wasn't quite able to hide the smile this time.

The two had nearly reached the village when the silence betwen them was abruptly shattered by a child's voice crying out, "Kagome! Your back!" A furry cannonball leapt at Kagome, latching onto her stomach. She dropped Inuyasha's hand to hug the kitsune, "Hey Shippo. What's wrong?"

The child looked up at her and pouted, "I was afraid you weren't gonna come back this time, since Inuyasha was such a big jerk...hey!" Shippo suddenly found himself hoisted into the air by his tail by an annoyed hanyou, "Hey, put me down! Kagome!"

Inuyasha bopped him on the head and dropped him to the ground, "Watch it runt, you could have hurt her, jumping on herlike that."

Shippo stuck his tongue out at him then took off running, screaming for Kagome to help him as Inuyasha chased him around the field. Kagome just stood and watched her mate and her son, smiling when Inuyasha caught the kit and their inevitable arguing began. She giggled as Miroku and Sango came over the top of the hill to join her, Kilala riding on Sango's shoulder and Miroku sporting a fresh handprint on his cheek. It was good to be home.

Vocabulary

hanyou-half demon

youkai-demon

inu-dog

ko-inu-puppy

baka-idiot, fool,stupid

Osuwari-Sit boy (Kagome's subduing command)

Goshinboku-God Tree

Kami-God

Gomen nasai-I'm sorry

Ashiteru-I love you

jii-chan-grandfather

A/N This is my first attempt at anything Inuyasha, so feedback is as always appreciated. Please hold the flames, there's too much snow here for a campfire just yet. Ja ne.


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